Are State Education Rankings Accurate?
State education rankings are commonly used in conversations about the U.S. education system. One of the most popular ranking systems is from the U.S. News and World Report. The Cato Institute conducted a study which focused on the U.S. News and World Report’s education measurement, and set out to assess the bias behind this ranking […]
National School Choice Week 2018
My friends at the Independence Institute and their partner organizations are holding an event in Denver on Saturday for families to celebrate school choice and to learn about scholarship organizations that help low-income children attend private schools. You are welcome to join us! In Colorado Springs, our friends from Parents Challenge have organized an event at City Hall on Wednesday. They would love to see you too!
The undeniable efficacy of charter schools
Two studies were released this month from universities in California that demonstrate the effectiveness of school choice and the need for more options in education.
Moving toward educational savings accounts in Colorado
Since 2011, five states have adopted some form of ESA program. The idea is now emerging in Colorado. Put simply, ESAs are designed to give parents the flexibility to “tailor” their children’s education to their specific needs by directly providing them with a certain amount of money that can be spent on a wide variety of education-related goods and services — books, materials and non-public school tuition, to name a few.
Doom and gloom over proposed education budget is off base, overblown
The proposed $9 billion in cuts are largely being taken from small portions of various education programs, not a large portion from any one program. In fact, a billion extra dollars are being put into public charter schools and school choice via Title I. Charter schools are worth investing in, particularly because they tend to outperform their traditional public counterparts.
The leaner proposed budget matches funding levels in 1997. That may not be a bad thing, as it is unclear whether public education has improved student outcomes as a result of the steady increase in federal funding over the past two decades. Nine billion dollars less sounds like a lot, but if the current system has not benefited from simply increasing the budget, then perhaps the amount of funds isn’t the problem, but rather the way the funds are utilized.
State needs to remove barriers to hiring teachers in rural Colorado
Colorado’s many rural school districts are made to follow the same licensure rules as their urban counterparts, even though the challenges facing these districts vary greatly. Licensure restrictions make it harder for rural districts to meet the needs of their students by forcing school and district leaders to stretch staff members too thin or leave positions unfilled.
Free speech, diversity of through vital to the college experience
Recent events on college campuses nationwide make it clear student’s rights to free speech are in jeopardy. Campus leaders have allowed and promoted a type of Orwellian suppression of free expression that punishes deviation from specific lines of thought. Though state legislatures have made efforts to address these problems, far more needs to be done to treat the underlying disease rather than the symptoms.
Having a choice in education can make a huge difference
This week is National School Choice Week, which means it’s time to once again celebrate the power of educational choice.
This week is a celebration of more than an interesting theory or idea. It’s about making a difference in thousands of students’ lives every day.
Support summer learning with summer homeschooling
It is summer in Colorado and school is just around the corner. It’s not too late to consider summer homeschooling as a way to actively support your child’s learning before the school year begins. The importance of keeping your child intellectually active over the summer should not be underestimated. According to a 2011 RAND Corporation […]
The Power of Educational Choice
“If you can afford to attend Arrupe, you can’t attend Arrupe”. This video features a lively discussion of the inspiring work being done at Arrupe Jesuit High School, a private Jesuit high school in Denver that serves only low-income students. Featuring: Principal Michale O’Hagan, student Miguel Gonzalez, and Ross Izard as the host.
Equity for Colorado’s Charter Public Schools
This is the full clip of Ross Izard’s discussion on fairness for Colorado public charter school students with Colorado League of Charter Schools Director of Advocacy Dan Schaller and Compass Montessori Executive Director Bill Kottenstette.
Private School Choice Freedom Minute
Think private school choice is brand new with an unproven track record? Think again! Senior Education Policy Analyst Ross Izard is here to set us straight!
